One of the nation’s elite research universities, Florida State University preserves, expands, and disseminates knowledge in the sciences, technology, arts, humanities, and professions, while embracing a philosophy of learning strongly rooted in the traditions of the liberal arts and critical thinking. Located in Tallahassee, Florida’s capital city, FSU is a public, fully accredited, coeducational institution with an enrollment of about 42,000 students. Florida State is designated as one of two preeminent universities in Florida and has climbed 10 spots in two years to No. 33 in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of national public universities.
Designated as a Carnegie Research University (designating very high research activity), Florida State awards more than 3,000 graduate and professional degrees each year, and is recognized as a national leader in the number of doctorates awarded to African-American students and in the graduation rate of African-American undergraduates.
Florida State’s medical school, which graduated its first class in 2005, focuses on educating outstanding physicians for practice in community settings, while the law school is one of the fastest-rising in national rankings. The top five colleges by enrollment are: Arts and Sciences, Business, Social Sciences and Public Policy, Human Sciences, and Communication and Information. The top five majors by enrollment are: Biological Sciences, Psychology, Criminology, Nutrition, Food and Exercise Science, and English.
Florida State students have the opportunity to work alongside Nobel laureates and Pulitzer-Prize winners, Guggenheim Fellows, members of the National Academy of Sciences and American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and other globally recognized teachers and researchers.
- Founded in 1851, FSU is the oldest continuous site of higher education in Florida
- Carnegie Commission Classification: “Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity”
- 351 degree programs in Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral, Specialist, and Professional
- Total Enrollment: 41,867 students
- Total Undergraduate Enrollment: 32,669 Students
- In-State tuition: $4,639.80
- Out-of-State tuition: $19,806.30
- FSU’s four year graduation rate is among the top 25 nationally, and the six-year graduation rate is 80%
- Freshman retention rate is nearly 93%, which ranks 18th nationally
- 18 schools and colleges: Applied Studies, Arts & Sciences, Business, Communication & Information, Criminology, Education, Engineering,
- Fine Arts, Human Sciences, Law School, Medical School, Motion Picture Arts, Music, Nursing, Social Sciences & Public Policy, Social Work, Graduate School, Unclassified/Special
- 25:1 student to faculty ratio
- Acceptance rate: 56%
- 2017 Admitted Fall Profile: 4.0-4.5 GPA, 1240-1360 SAT, 27-31 ACT
- Notable Alumni
Academic Programs
Florida State offers leading undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. Many units have programs that consistently rank among the nation’s top twenty-five public universities, including those in Physics, Chemistry, Statistics, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Meteorology, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Criminology, Information, Creative Writing, Public Policy, Business and Law.The university is dedicated to excellence in teaching, research, creative endeavors, and service. The university strives to instill the strength, skill, and character essential for lifelong learning, personal responsibility, and sustained achievement within a community that fosters free inquiry and embraces diversity.
The university is home to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, funded by the National Science Foundation. The only national lab in Florida, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory holds the most world records for the most powerful magnets on earth. Other research centers, such as the Center for Advanced Power Systems, are supported by the U.S. Departments of Defense and Energy. The NHMFL and CAPS, among other labs, place Florida State University at the cutting edge of research and its application to industry.